🎨 AI-generated botanical illustration
🌱 Lupine
Lupinus polyphyllus / Lupinus spp.
flowers
perennial (some annual varieties)
Fabaceae
☀️ Sun
full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
moderate
🗺️ Zones
[4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.0 (slightly acidic preferred)
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, sandy or loamy
🚿 Drainage
well-drained
📏 Spacing
12-18 inches
📐 Height
2-4 feet
⏱️ Maturity
Blooms second year from seed; 80-120 days
🤝 Companions (25)
🤝 Columbine
Good companion.
🤝 Columbine
Good companion.
🤝 Cottage
Cottage garden spires together. Similar vertical form.
🤝 Cottage
Cottage garden spires together. Similar vertical form.
🤝 Delphinium
Good companion.
🤝 Delphinium
Good companion.
🤝 Ferns
Good companion.
🤝 Ferns
Ferns at base provide cool root run for lupines.
🤝 Ferns
Good companion.
🤝 Ferns
Ferns at base provide cool root run for lupines.
🤝 Foxglove
Good companion.
🤝 Foxglove
Good companion.
🤝 Iris
Good companion.
🤝 Iris
Good companion.
🤝 Lettuce
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Rose
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Sequential
Sequential bloom — iris first, lupine follows.
🤝 Sequential
Sequential bloom — iris first, lupine follows.
🤝 Spinach
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Spring
Spring combination. Columbine blooms as lupine spikes rise.
🤝 Spring
Spring combination. Columbine blooms as lupine spikes rise.
🤝 Woodland
Woodland edge planting. Sequential spires.
🤝 Woodland
Woodland edge planting. Sequential spires.
🤝 brassicas (broccoli, kale, cabbage)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 corn
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
⚠️ Keep Apart (5)
⚠️ Lupines fix their own nitrogen — rich soil produces leaves not flowers.
Incompatible.
⚠️ Lupines fix their own nitrogen — rich soil produces leaves not flowers.
Incompatible.
⚠️ Rich heavily-fertilized soil
Incompatible.
⚠️ Rich heavily-fertilized soil
Incompatible.
⚠️ plants needing alkaline soil (clematis, dianthus)
📝 Growing Notes
Tall spires of pea-like blooms in blues, purples, pinks, yellows, and bicolors. Legume — fixes nitrogen into soil, improving fertility for neighboring plants. Deep taproots break up compacted soil layers. Classic cottage garden staple.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
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